3 bar menu

Vol 03 Chapter 102: Demon Versus Orochi II

The elephants roared and began their charge toward the allied forces. The distance between them was closing rapidly.

And the closer they got, the more the soldiers’ fear of the immense size of the elephants increased.

「Wow, so huge…」

「Can we even kill something like that…?」

Seeing them for the first time in their lives, the Adernians were overwhelmed by the sight of the elephants’ charge. The elephant dominated the atmosphere of the battlefield.

「Don’t panic!! In the end, they are just a beast! We can kill it with our spears!」

「Yes, Centurion!!」

「As expected of our Centurion, how brave!!」

The centurion raised his spear and charged at the elephant. However, his actions were nothing more than recklessness.

An elephant can run at speeds of up to forty kilometers per hour, and this one weighed about fifteen tons.

Its charge is not something a human can stop.

With a series of crushing sounds, the centurion was trampled underfoot. All that was left behind was a red stain.

「What is this monster?!」

「Help me!!」

「Mommy!!」

In an instant, the soldiers at the front lines fell into a state of panic.

「Dieeee!」

「Ha ha ha ha!!」

At that moment, the battle slaves, who had been pushed back until now, seemed to regain their breath and renewed their attack on the soldiers of the allied forces. With the formation at the front lines disrupted by the elephants’ charge, there was no stopping them.

「This is bad, we’re going to fall apart…」

Bartolo looked at the rampaging beast—the elephant—in the far front. Naturally, Bartolo had neither seen nor heard of an elephant before.

He didn’t know how to deal with it, but…

「Contact General Tonino. I’ll leave the command of all troops to him. I’m going to support the front line!」

As soon as Bartolo barked his orders to the messenger, he kicked his horse’s sides and headed towards the part of the formation being torn apart by the elephants. He then shouted loudly.

「Stay calm!! Don’t confront them head-on. Attack from the sides and rear! Archers, shoot down those riding on top of the elephants!」

With Bartolo coming to the front lines, the line gradually began to hold again. The soldiers, avoiding a frontal attack on the elephants, kept thrusting their spears from the sides and the back.

Some elephants entered a state of frenzy. To escape the barrage of spears, they tried to retreat the way they had come. However, the elephant handlers would not allow it.

「It’s time. Forgive me.」

The elephant handlers struck the nails that were attached to the elephant’s vital spots with a hammer. The nails deeply pierced into the vital spots, causing the elephant to die.

Having taken down several elephants, the allied forces regained their confidence and morale, launching attacks on the other elephants. The tide of battle began to shift back towards the allied forces…

◇

「Now, gentlemen! It’s finally our turn. All troops, begin the charge!!」

Kuryuu kicked the belly of his hound dragon, rushing at full speed toward the center of the allied forces. The Gallian soldiers under Kuryuu’s command followed suit.

「Dieeeeee!! Hahahahaha!!!!」

Kuryuu swung his sword, as tall as he was, slashing through the allied forces as if blowing them away. The Gallian soldiers continue the assault, tearing through the allied forces.

If the allied forces’ formation had been in a sound state, Kuryuu’s charge might have failed. However, the allied forces were already exhausted by five thousand battle slaves and had their formation greatly disrupted by the elephants.

Even the most massive and sturdy wall can easily be toppled if it’s already cracked and you strike it with a mallet. The same principle was used here.

The Rozel army commanded by Kuryuu pressed on, gradually piercing through the ranks of the allied forces.

But Bartolo was not so naive as to let this go unchallenged.

「Second line! It’s your turn. Stop the Rozel army!」

At General Tonino’s command, who had been entrusted with overall leadership by Bartolo, an elite unit previously held in reserve made its appearance. This unit, composed of the strongest fighters from both the Rosais and Domorgal armies, was formed specifically to counter Kuryuu.

「Ha! You’re lively, aren’t you? This looks like it will be a fun fight!」

Kuryuu, smiling joyously, continued to swing his great sword. With each swing, people were sent flying and a rain of blood followed. Kuryuu himself was already drenched in blood, splattered by the enemy.

However, Kuryuu stood out alone in his ferocity. Though his ten thousand soldiers were elite, only Kuryuu possessed superhuman martial prowess; the rest were merely human.

Even though they were facing an enemy whose formation had already collapsed, breaking through still drained the physical strength of Kuryuu’s forces. At this point, the elite troops, who had conserved their energy until now, clashed with them.

Temporarily, the Rozel army was forced to halt its advance. Once they stopped, the allied forces had enough leverage.

「Now, the enemy is trapped. Crush them from both sides!」

While restructuring the broken front lines, Bartolo ordered a concerted effort to crush the Rozel army.

Like closing an open wound, the surrounding flesh began to slowly fill the wound, sealing the hole…

And then, another actor arrived at the battlefield—one that would become a boon for the allied forces and a blow for the Rozel army.

「We got pulled too far from the battlefield… we returned at the perfect moment, let’s go help our allies out of this dire situation!」

The allied cavalry returned to the battlefield.

Without waiting for further instructions, the allied cavalry launched a surprise attack from behind on the Rozel army. This move encircled the Rozel forces from all sides.

However…

「Heh, it wouldn’t be fun otherwise. Now, the real show begins. Listen well! For each Adernian soldier you kill, I will grant you land and a woman! All the loot will be yours as well! Whoever kills the enemy commander, Carlo, will be made a lord. Of course, I’m also after him, so it’s first come, first served!!!」

Kuryuu shouted as he swung his great sword.

Kill, kill, kill. Blood, blood, blood. Death, death, death.

Kuryuu slowly became intoxicated with the smell of blood he was creating. His second blessing, the [Blessing of the Crazed Warrior] began to activate.

「Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Die, die, die!!!」

Kuryuu laughed madly, yet his eyes remained coldly composed as he slaughtered the allied forces one by one. Gradually, even the allied elite began to be pushed back.

And through his [Blessing of Charm],  this insanity spread throughout the Rozel army.

「Die, die, die!!」

「Hyahaha!!!」

「The enemy commander’s head is…」

「Mine!!!」

Struck by this madness, the Rozel army’s momentum surged. They became unstoppable, their frenzy uncontainable. This madness not only restored their stamina but even temporarily boosted their physical abilities. Though the increase was slight, when combined across ten thousand soldiers, a small advantage became a significant force.

The Rozel army finally broke through the allied elite. And they quickly advanced toward the main camp where Carlo was stationed.

Seeing this, Tonino concluded…

「We are defeated.」

He made the assessment calmly, but his clenched fist, the nails digging into his flesh until it bled, betrayed his inner turmoil.

「A message, sir! From General Bartolo. He advises an urgent retreat.」

「So, it’s my turn to take charge now. Alright, we will retreat swiftly. Begin the retreat!!」

Thus, the allied forces retreated. The battle ended in victory for the Rozel army.

The allied forces suffered significant losses: 3,000 dead, 4,000 wounded, and 3,000 deserters. The cavalry lost 200.

On the Rozel army side, the infantry losses included 4,000 dead, mostly among the battle slaves. The core units lost 400 dead and 500 wounded—a low number of injuries relative to deaths, partially due to the [Blessing of the Crazed Warrior]. The cavalry lost about 400, but 600 remained intact. Of the 50 war elephants deployed, 20 were lost.

In total, the allied forces remaining troops were 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry, totaling 11,000. The remaining Rozel forces comprised 9,100 infantry, 1,000 battle slaves, and 600 cavalry, summing up to 10,700, along with 30 war elephants.

Combined casualties, including dead, wounded, and deserters, reached 14,600. These numbers showed how fierce the battle was…

◇

「That was amazing, General Kuryuu!」

Annabella looked at Kuryuu with admiration. Kuryuu laughed heartily before responding.

「Of course. Who do you think I am? I am the world’s greatest general, Kuryuu!」

「Well, he has lost before though. He tends to exaggerate in his speeches…」

Mari shrugged her shoulders. No general is invincible; typically, they experience losses and victories, gradually earning their reputation as great leaders. Kuryuu was no exception.

「May I ask one thing? Were the slave troops necessary? Couldn’t you have just used the elephants from the start?」

「Haha, good question, Jingle Bell-kun!」

「…It’s Annabella. You only said the ‘Bell’ part correctly…」

Annabella frowned, but Kuryuu, ignoring her expression, continued his explanation.

「Elephants have weaknesses. Their legs are vulnerable, and they can’t change direction easily. They can only move straight ahead, which makes them a problematic weapon. If they face a well-organized army head-on, there’s a risk of failure. They are a precious force that we can’t replenish easily if things go wrong. That’s why I first sent in the battle slaves to disrupt the enemy’s formation… The enemy commander turned out to be more competent than expected. If we had used the elephants right from the start, there was a chance they could have been counterattacked.」

Indeed, the loss of about twenty elephants was significant. It might not work again next time.

「But still, watching the elephants trample the enemy is truly a spectacular sight. I was quite shocked when I first encountered them in Gallia…」

Originally, the Rozel Kingdom did not have a corps of war elephants. That unit was used by a northern Gallian tribe.

After defeating them, Kuryuu took control of the tribe, and now, that tribe was granted extensive autonomy in exchange for supplying elephants and their handlers.

「So, Balloon-dono. I’ve set the stage for you. Now it’s your turn, right?」

「It’s Merlin. Understood. Well, I don’t have much to do anyway.」

Mari said this as she hurriedly mounted her dragon, Elly, and flew off into the sky.

◇

「What should we do? Shall we fight another field battle?」

「…It’s impossible. The soldiers have been completely demoralized. For now, we have no choice but to hold up in a fortress and wait for reinforcements. Sigh… all my big talk, and this is the result.」

Bartolo sighed. Then he downed some liquor. Whether times were good or bad, liquor was Bartolo’s constant companion. It was like his blood.

「We underestimated Kuryuu’s assault power. Also, the early withdrawal of the cavalry… If only the cavalry had arrived a bit earlier.」

「Also, not having blast javelins hurt us. Those spears could have easily taken out those hairy beasts.」

Bartolo and Tonino held a post-battle meeting. Humans learn from their failures.

This time, it couldn’t be helped. They would reflect now to ensure victory next time.

「And what are those hairy beasts? That’s practically cheating.」

「…If you’re going to say that, then your blast javelins are cheating too.」

In war, there’s no such thing as fairness, but when faced with an exceptionally powerful weapon, it’s natural to want to complain. Regardless, the next steps are to develop countermeasures and request reinforcements.

「For now… shall we drink some liquor to boost morale?」

「…That’s just you wanting to drink.」

Tonino said with a look of exasperation.

◇

「Alright, we won!! Yes, we did it!! Thank you, Merlin-dono! Kuryuu-dono!」

Aldo was overjoyed as he shook hands with Mari and Kuryuu. It was as if the worries about his life until just moments ago were a lie.

Now, he was close to reclaiming the crown he had once lost. Aldo was in high spirits.

「That’s great, Aldo-sama.」

Alice also congratulated Aldo. When Aldo was in a good mood, he wouldn’t hit Alice, so it was a relief for her as well.

However, contrary to Alice’s expectations, Aldo’s face suddenly turned sullen. He marched up to Alice and struck her across the cheek.

Alice fell dramatically but managed to break her fall skillfully.

「It’s King Domorgal, right?」

「Yes, I’m sorry. King Domorgal.」

As Alice corrected herself, Aldo’s face brightened again.

「Then, Merlin-dono, Kuryuu-dono, I shall take my leave.」

Aldo said that and left the room. Alice hurriedly followed him, but…

「Wait.」

Mari called out to her.

「Why do you serve someone like that?」

「Hmm? I am a slave. Isn’t it natural for me to follow my master?」

「But you’re being hit.」

「That’s because I was at fault. As long as I behave, I won’t be hit.」

Alice answered emotionlessly. Mari looked puzzled. Now, Kuryuu joined the conversation.

「If you are willing… why not come to Rozel? I can make you a centurion from the start. Your future beyond that would depend on your abilities as a commander… but it’s certainly better than serving him.」

「If I did that, I’d be beaten. I don’t like pain. I won’t rebel.」

Alice firmly refused. Even though Kuryuu was offering her a position where she wouldn’t be beaten, she responded that she was afraid of being beaten, so she couldn’t go with him— she was contradicting herself.

What was even more frightening was that she wasn’t aware of this contradiction.

「Okay, sorry for asking something strange.」

「Sorry about that. If you change your mind, come and ask us.」

Mari and Kuryuu casually said that. Alice quietly bowed and left.

Soon, Aldo’s hysterical voice could be heard, apparently angry now about her being late.

「What do you think?」

「What can I say… No matter how strong she is, if she is that broken… Well, it’s up to her, I guess.」

Mari and Kuryuu exchanged looks and sighed deeply.